With NFL teams preparing for their training camps and the 2022 season, the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers both have shaky quarterback situations. While acquiring Baker Mayfield from the Cleveland Browns is a possibility for both teams, the Seahawks, Panthers and Browns are playing a waiting game.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported that the three teams are “stuck in a holding pattern” with money being the primary holdup.
The Browns, Seahawks and Panthers remain stuck in a holding pattern on Baker Mayfield talks.
Both teams will need Cleveland to take on a much greater portion of the QB's contract than it has offered so far, reports @jeffphowe.https://t.co/qXrKxV6DmA pic.twitter.com/hpsCZiQnj6
— The Athletic NFL (@TheAthleticNFL) May 20, 2022
NFL fans had a variety of reactions to the report.
Say what you want but Baker would be a significant upgrade for the Panthers and Rhule can't afford to have another losing season.
— JButler (@hesaidwutsports) May 20, 2022
These NFL teams are “tanking”, they just don’t want to say it. Sea, Atl, Det, Was, Car, NO, Hou, quietly entered the B. Young/CJ Stroud sweepstakes @Bakermayfield is a better than any QB in this draft, he’d win too many games to have that option for 2023 draft. Tell me I’m wrong. pic.twitter.com/sI35TsKB7F
— Dan Drybal (@NoSecrets7890) May 20, 2022
Stay strong Panthers and Seahawks! You’ll be able to get him for free in due time!
— WheelRoutes (@wheel_routes) May 20, 2022
Why should the Browns pay any more of Mayfield's salary if he'll be playing for another team? If the other team doesn't want to 'pony up', the Browns should just pay Mayfield to sit out.
— G Coatoam Jr (@G_Coatoam_Jr) May 20, 2022
Holding Pattern? Son, all the air traffic controllers have gone home. The only thing holding this bird up is the fuel in the tank, and the low fuel indicators in the cockpit have been going off for months. There can't be much left, so one might want to land Canadian airlines.
— Scott Knudsen (@F1ScottiePush) May 20, 2022
These NFL teams are “tanking”, they just don’t want to say it. Sea, Atl, Det, Was, Car, NO, Hou, quietly entered the B. Young/CJ Stroud sweepstakes @Bakermayfield is a better than any QB in this draft, he’d win too many games to have that option for 2023 draft. Tell me I’m wrong. pic.twitter.com/sI35TsKB7F
— Dan Drybal (@NoSecrets7890) May 20, 2022
Of the two teams, Carolina seems to be the more likely — or at least, sensible — destination.
Mayfield would be an upgrade on Geno Smith and Drew Lock, who are presently battling it out for Seattle’s No. 1 job. But would he be enough of an upgrade for the Seahawks, who were 7-10 with Russell Wilson as the primary starter in 2021 (going 6-8 in his starts) to be contenders in what figures to be one of the NFL’s best divisions? Additionally, Pete Carroll has enough equity in Seattle to ride out a bad season and get into the C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young sweepstakes in the 2023 Draft.
The Panthers, meanwhile, have gone 5-11 and 5-12 in Matt Rhule’s two seasons as head coach. He doesn’t have the slack that Carroll has in Seattle. Furthermore, Carolina’s general manager, Scott Fitterer, was not there when Rhule was hired. If the Panthers find themselves in position to draft Stroud or Young, another coach will probably be in place to see that through. Rhule needs to show progress this year. Mayfield can make that happen.
Aside from money, another big variable in all of this is the looming suspension for Browns quarterback, Deshaun Watson.
Cleveland traded for Watson and signed him a record-setting extension to make him the franchise quarterback going forward. That much is clear. What’s also clear, though, is that a suspension is looming for Watson. And with HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel reportedly set to air interviews with several of Watson’s accusers, the lingering suspension becomes even more prevalent.
Don’t think Baker is going anywhere. He will end up starting this year because Watson won’t see the field
— SunKing (@fifthorkid) May 20, 2022
Ordinarily, trading Mayfield would be a given. But given the many moving parts to this, Mayfield not only staying in Cleveland but playing for the Browns does linger as a possibility, albeit an awkward one.
[The Athletic NFL, Pro Football Talk]
